Lev Vygotsky

Lev Vygotsky (17 November 1896-11 June 1934) was a Soviet psychologist known for his contributions to developmental psychology. He notably challenged Jean Piaget's belief that children can imagine scenarios that differ from the rules of reality.

Biography
Lev Vygotsky was born in Orsha, Russian Empire in 1896 to a Jewish family, and he served as a representative of the Bolshevik government in Gomel from 1919 to 1923. He never finished his studies at Imperial Moscow University due to the October Revolution, and therefore never obtained a degree. However, he became a prominent Soviet psychologist, and his main focus was on developmental psychology. During the 1920s, he spread reductionist beliefs, seeing human development as being connected to interpersonal connections and actions with the social environment. Vygotsky was also known for his critique of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development. He identified play as young children's leading activity, uniting emotional, volitional, and cognitive development. He died of tuberculosis in 1934.